Political analyst Herman Manyora has criticised the heavy security deployment witnessed during the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election, warning that the use of masked police officers, unmarked vehicles and heavily armed personnel risks weakening public confidence in law enforcement and fuelling political tensions.
Speaking during a Radio Generation interview on Friday, Manyora said the security operation drew attention away from the electoral process, with scenes of teargas, confrontations and heavily armed officers dominating events on polling day.
He warned that such policing tactics could damage trust in state institutions and push the country towards instability if they continue.
"I don't want to pretend to know, but since we live in a country called Kenya, we know the police have this habit of using tear gas carelessly. Maybe that was just one of those occasions when the police felt the tear gas could expire, so they had to use it," he said.
Manyora also criticised the use of masked officers and unmarked vehicles, saying such practices go against public accountability.
"You see masked officers covering their faces, using unmarked vehicles, carrying assault rifles that are not strictly for crowd control. Those sorts of things must stop because this is how countries go down. This is how nations go down."
He said police officers should always be identifiable to the public and that citizens should clearly understand the powers and limits of law enforcement officers.
His remarks come as security operations during the Ol Kalou by-election continue to attract public attention.
Before the vote, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen warned that vehicles without number plates would be impounded and directed that only authorised election officials, accredited personnel and voters would be allowed into polling stations.
Security agencies also banned unmarked vehicles from operating near polling centres. Following violence that disrupted the election, Murkomen ordered investigations into the conduct of masked officers and armed men using unmarked vehicles, directing police to arrest and prosecute those responsible regardless of who deployed them.
Inspector General Douglas Kanja had earlier assured residents that enough security personnel had been deployed to guarantee a peaceful and credible election.
Manyora further cautioned against relying on fear as a policing strategy, saying it was becoming less effective, especially among young people.
"We live in times when fear may not work, especially against these young people. The moment you allow a situation where the police are overpowered by civilians, you are getting very close to anarchy. Nobody should allow the country to get to that point."
He maintained that governments derive their authority from citizens and should never treat the police as tools for controlling the public.
Turning to the political outcome of the by-election, Manyora dismissed claims that the result was a clear indicator of what will happen in the 2027 General Election, saying parliamentary by-elections are driven by different political factors from national elections.
Even so, he said the Ol Kalou contest carried important lessons for both President William Ruto and former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
According to the analyst, the outcome showed the government was ready to use every available political advantage to defend its seat, while Gachagua and his allies should prepare for a tough presidential contest rather than expect an easy victory.
His remarks follow the victory of Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) candidate Sammy Douglas Kamau Waweru, who won the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election with 35,440 votes.
United Democratic Alliance (UDA) candidate Samuel Muchina Nyagah came second with 5,450 votes in a race widely viewed as a political showdown between President William Ruto's UDA and Rigathi Gachagua's DCP.
Jubilee Party candidate Wilson Mwaniki Kigwa received 198 votes, Stephen Wanyoike Waithaka of the National Liberal Party garnered 103 votes, Timothy Kamau Kariuki of the People's Renaissance Movement secured 51 votes, Edwin Kariiri Muchiri of PNU got 28 votes, Abdifatah Hussein Abdullahi of FPK received 19 votes, while Edward Mathenge Mwaniki of the Kenya Moja Movement finished with 16 votes.
Manyora also urged President Ruto to review his political approach and expand his engagement beyond his traditional support bases.
He concluded that the Ol Kalou by-election had exposed changing political realities that both the government and the opposition would have to address as the country moves closer to the 2027 General Election.